Marriage
A marriage is the legally or formally recognized union of (usually) two people. This socially recognized union establishes rights and obligations between the spouses, as well as any biological or adopted children and affinity. Most marriages start with a celebration known as a wedding. The end of marriage is known as divorce. History Marriage between two people of different races was banned in the Kingdom of Cartham for several centuries, as decreed by the Interracial Marriage Ban. However, the campaign of Krieger and Isabel Kross caused the smallfolk of Cartham City and the Council of Commons to pressure King Fendrel Fischbach to repeal the Ban, though he personally despised the idea of interracial marriage. Krieger and Isabel were the first interracial couple to be married in an official ceremony after the repeal of the ban. Prejudice against interracial couples and their offspring persisted into the Great War. Betrothals Main article: Betrothal Most betrothals among nobility are to ally with another family, not for love; such marriages of convenience are are also common among the middle class and peasants. Betrothals and marriages can be part of a pledge of support. The head of house is expected to arrange matches for his or her children and any unwed younger siblings. Although a lord cannot force a marriage if their dependent refuses to say the vows, this would carry serious consequences. While lords do not necessarily arrange marriages for their vassals or household knights, they would be wise to consult him and respect his feelings when arranging their own matches. Betrothals can made at a wide range of ages. Children may be as young as two years old, though betrothals are usually made when the people involved are older. Eleven is considered a normal age for betrothal, though when severe political matters are involved, children might be younger. Betrothals can be broken. However, this can have serious consequences. If a nobleman who has been betrothed dies before a political marriage can occur, a sibling or heir may take his place. Though dowries in Human culture are paid by the family of the bride to the groom's family, in Elven culture this may not be the case. Marriage Age at marriage Just as men and women can be betrothed at a wide range of ages, they can also be wed at a range of ages, which might depend on the necessity of an heir, or the political environment. While marriages to girls who have not yet reached their majority or even their flowering have happened, they are rare. Moreover, bedding these girls before they have flowered is seen as perverse. Generally, weddings are postponed until the girl has passed into maidenhood with her first flowering. Most highborn girls have their first menstruation at the age of twelve or thirteen. It is not uncommon for a girl to be married after she has had her first menstruation, or within the first year following her first flowering, though usually weddings are postponed until the bride is even older, closer to her majority (the age of sixteen), or even beyond. Nonetheless, marriage has also occurred to infants, though this happens rarely. Wedding ceremony Main article: Wedding In Cartham, the wedding ceremony is a religious ceremony. The bride's father, or the person standing in his place (usually kin or whoever else is closest to living kin), will escort the bride to her future husband and those presiding over the marriage. Wedding gowns are traditionally white, to symbolize the maiden bride's purity. Most Carthian wedding ceremonies are presided over by a priest or priestess, and involve prayer, vows, and singing, and takes place in a temple. Dryad weddings usually take place in front of their village's heart tree, and ceremonies are significantly shorter. The bride is escorted to the groom, who awaits her in front of the heart tree, and a ceremonial conversation follows, where the identity of the bride, groom, and of the person giving the bride away are established. The bride is asked to accept her husband, and upon her agreement, bride and groom join hands, kneel before the heart tree, and bow their heads in a token of submission. When they rise following a moment of silent prayer, the groom takes the bride in his arms and carries her to the celebration. Among the Warthorn Elves, marriage is seen as a business contract between two families. The initiative for marriage has to come from the bride or her mother, who makes the proposal of marriage to the man's mother or guardian. If the latter is agreeable, the groom promises to pay the bride-price (mundr), which ranges from a minimum of eight to twelve ounces of silver, as well as a dowry. The bride-price and dowry become the property of the bride after the wedding. The groom or his mother and the bride or bride's mother shake hands on the agreement in front of witnesses and agree on a date for the wedding, usually within the year. Weddings take the form of a feast, usually held at the bride's home. The marriage is considered legally binding when the couple is seen going to bed by a minimum of seven witnesses. Wedding customs in the Djannir Empire differ somewhat from Carthian ceremonies. Traditionally, the female relatives of the groom examine the bride's womb and genitals to ensure her fertility. Three Sisters of Sunlight witness this ancient ritual, and recite prayers. The bride is to be stripped completely naked for this purpose. After the examinations are done, the women eat a cake baked specifically for betrothals, which men are forbidden to taste. Usually, the bride has to wash the groom's feet, signifying that she will be her husband's handmaiden. Like in Cartham, the traditional gown is white. The ceremony may last for several hours, at the end of which husband and wife emerge from the temple bound together wrist and ankle with chains of gold. All wedding ceremonies across different cultures are followed by a feast, which in turn is followed by the bedding. Royal weddings are known to feature tourneys. Consummation Following the feast, the bedding takes place. The bride is escorted to her bedroom, usually by the male guests from the feast, who undress the bride along the way while making rude jokes. The women at the feast do the groom the same honors. Usually, once the bride and groom are in the bedchamber they are left alone, though wedding guests might stand on the other side of the door, shouting suggestions. Nonetheless, in some cases, witnesses might be present for the bedding, though it is unknown how far this witness duty goes. Women, more so of noble women, are generally expected to be virgins on their first wedding night. After some weddings, the bedsheets are displayed to show the blood, thereby proving the breaking of the bride's maidenhead and thus her virginity on her wedding night. However, since it is known that horse riding can break a girl's maidenhead, few families are insistent on physical proof. Even though it is rare for a marriage to occur before a girl's first flowering, they do sometimes occur. However, it is considered perverse to bed a bride who is so young. Nonetheless, it is considered bad luck for the marriage for the man and wife to sleep apart on their wedding night. Legality, divorce, and annulment Main article: Divorce Vows said at swordpoint are invalid, and in theory, a person cannot be declared to be married if they refuse to say the vows. However, there are still issues of consent. Marriages may be conducted between children or babies, and even if the marriage occurred under force, a lord may claim the marriage to be legal in some circumstances, such as if lands were at stake. Divorce in Cartham is not common. Instead, a man and wife might decide to live separately. Nonetheless, a King is able to put his Queen aside, even if she has given birth to his children, and marry another. However, marriages in Cartham can be ended in several ways. A marriage that has not been consummated can be set aside by a priest or priestess. Neither bride nor groom needs to be present for annulment; however, it must be requested by at least one of the wedded pair. Another way of ending a marriage is by having the bride join the Silent Sisters. In the culture of the Warthorn, divorce is uncommon, but fairly simple. All that is required of the party seeking divorce is that they summon witnesses and declare themselves divorced. In practice, it is more complicated when property is at stake. A husband's adultery is a serious matter, and in some areas the wife has the right to kill both him and his lover if they were caught together. There is no penalty for a woman if she kept a lover or had children outside her marriage. This is very common on higher levels of society. Category:Marriage